Wheel or pulley.



No. 696,320. Patented Mar. 25, 1962.

' J. M. DODGE.

WHEEL URPULLVEY. .(Appucncion med me. 5, 1900.

(No Model.) n l 2 Sheets-Shea# 2.

n PETERS ann m mum/As N Ton. .c.

UNrren STATES APATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. DODGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LINK BELT ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA'. l

WHEEL OR PU LLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,320, dated March 25, 1902.

l Applicate nos. December 5, 1900. serai No. 38,835. (No man: v

.T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. DODGE, a citizen of the United States', residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Wheels or Pulleys, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means for lubricating the journals or axles of wheels from an exterior point on the wheel xo and to prevent the entrance of dirt and other foreign matter to the bearing.

My invention is especially applicable to small Wheels or carriers used on conveyers, which must be kept constantly lubricated,

and Where it is impossible to lubricate each wheel through an oil-hole, as the travel of the conveyer cannot be interrupted.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an edge View of a trolley-wheel, illustrating 2o my improvement. Fig. 2 isla sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, are views illustrating modifications of my invention.

I will describe my invention in connection with the trolley-Wheel of a conveyer; but it will be understood that the invention may be applied to any WheelV or pulley Vwithout departing from my invention.

3o A is a wheel, inthe present instance made in a single casting. vvThis wheel has a tread Working face a and a flange ct'.

A' is the hub of Vthe Wheel. Back of the flange in the presentjinstanceis an extension a2.

I cast channels B in the Wheel, as shown. These channels are preferably tapered from the periphery of the hub, and they are open at the periphery and at the hub. These chan- 4o nels are separated by partitions b. v (Clearly shown in the sectional view, Fig. 2.) The channel shown in Fig. 3 has an undercut recess b' at the periphery of the wheel and is enlarged at the hub, as shown. In the present instance I have shown six channels; but

it will be understood that any number of channels niay be used Without departing from my invention,the sizeand Ythe number of the channels depending upon the amount of lubricant 5o required. I pack the channels with any suitableconveying medium for the oil or other lubricating liquid. 4I preferably use felt or cotton wadding, whichv will readily become saturated with the oil or other lubricant. In using felt I preferably cut it to lt the tapered channels B, and I place the felt in the channels in such a manner that it lwill not be condensed-and prevent the iiow of the lubricant. The lips forming .the undercut recess b hold the felt in position, and, if necessary, small 6o lugs on the wheel may extend into the channels for the saine purpose.

By. the construction illustrated any oil or other lubricant applied to the outer surface of the absorbent material will be transmitted 6 5 through said, material to the axle or journal ofthe Wheel, thus keeping the wheel lubricated and at the same time preventing the passage of dirt or other foreign material to the journal, as the felt or cotton will act as 7o a filter for the lubricant.

D is the journal for the wheel A, and E is a rail upon which the wheel travels.- At one side of the rail in the present instance, Fig.

l, is a trough I, containing the lubricating liquid.

The rail E is depressed opposite the trough, so as to allow the portion a2 of the wheel to travel through the trough. The absorbent material will take .up suiiicient lubricant to 8cI keep the axle or journal of the wheel properly lubricated.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, I provide three sections of felt for each channel, one section c at the periphery itting the space b', one 85 section c' at the hub, and an intermediate section c2 between the sections c c', although in some instances a single piece of felt may be used, as in Fig. 5, extending from the periphery to the hub. Y

When the Wheel shown in Fig. 5 is used, a deep trough is necessary, or a wiper, such as that shown in Fig. 8, may be used in place of the trough.

It will be understood that the channels I3 95 may extend to any point desired, the construction depending altogether upon the design of the apparatus on which the wheels are mounted.

In Fig. 4 I have shown an extra flange 10o through which the channels B extend, and so arranged that it will travcl in a trough I/ independent of the rail.

In some instances I may use the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 9, where the chaunels B connect with an annular undercut channel (l in the periphery of the wheel, the partitions extending only to Vthe channeLd, and mounted in this channel is an annular strip of felt or other absorbent material c3, which is in contact with the felt or conducting material in the channels B, so that the lubricant is first applied to the annular strip and is absorbed by the strips in the radial channels. In Fig. 6 Ihave also shown the channels staggered, while in Fig. 3 theyhave the same degree of inclination toward the axis.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a construction similar to Fig. (j, with an independent channel e within the hub, so that a continuous piece of felt or equivalent material may be placed in this channel for conveying the lubricant to the journal or axle.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the channels in the hub only, and in this figure I have shown a wiper I2 for supplying the lubricant to the absorbent material in the channels. be understood that different appliances may be used for supplying the absorbent material with the lubricant without departing from my invention.

lVhile I have shown the wheel made of a single casting and the channels cored therein it will be understood that the wheel may be made in two or more parts and the parts secured together as desired; but in the type of small wheels shown I prefer to make the wheel of a single casting.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of an axle, a tractionwheel having one or more radiating channels therein and absorbent material arranged in said channel or channels and extending from the periphery of the wheel to the axle and packed so as to convey lubricating material from a point at the periphery of the wheel or pulley to the journal or axle, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a wheel or pulley having a series of radiating channels extending from the periphery of the wheel or pulley to the journal or axle, said channels being larger at the periphery than at the hub, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a wheel or pulley having a series of radiating partitions therein forming channels wider at the periphery than at the hub, absorbent material in said channels to form a medium for the conveyance of lubricating material from a point at the exterior of the wheel to the journal or axle, and means for preventing the withdrawal of It Will the absorbent material, substantially as dcscribed.

4. The combination of a wheel or pulley having one or more radiating channels extending from the hub to the periphery of the wheel, and three sections of absorbent material in each channel, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a wheel or pulley having an annular groove at its periphery, and having one or more radiating channels extending from the said annular groove to the bearing for the axle or journal, with absorbent material in the annular groove and in the channel or channels, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a wheel or pulley having an annular groove in the hub, an annular groove in the periphery, and one or tmore channels forming communication between the groove at the hub and the groove at the periphery, and absorbent material within the channels and grooves, substantially as described.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a wheel made of a single casting having a working face and having one or more radiating channels therein extending froin the hub to the peripheryat one side of the working face, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. As anew article of manufacture, a wheel made of a single casting having a hub, a tread, a flange and an extension back. of the ange, and having one or more radiating channels open at the extension and at the hub, substantially as and for the purpose specified. v

9. The combination of a wheel or pulley having one or more radiating channels therein extending from the periphery of the Wheel to the hub, absorbent material within the said channel or channels, and a trough for the lubricant, so arranged in respect to the wheel that the surface of the absorbent material at the periphery will travel through the trough and take up lubricant therefrom, substantially as described.

'10. The combination in a wheel having onc or more radiating channels therein and absorbent material arranged in said channel or channels, an extended surface of absorbent material at the periphery of the wheel com- IOO IIO

municating with the absorbent material in A the channel or channels, whereby lubricant applied to the periphery of the wheel will be conveyed by the absorbent material to the journal or axle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES M. DODGE.

Witnesses:

WILL. A. BARR, Jos. II. KLEIN. 

